A Practical Woman
by Calico Star
Summary: Laura Roslin was a practical woman.
1. Chapter 1

Laura Roslin hated to leave a job half done. If she had accepted an assignment she would carry it out to the best of her ability, and do what was necessary in order to achieve the required result.

She found herself thrust into the position of president by the destruction of their worlds, with no warning and no preparation. She cared about people, it was why she became a teacher, why she had eventually moved into politics even though she disliked it, it was why she was prepared to accept the office of president. She felt every loss, rejoiced at every birth, hated every failure and celebrated every success. Her assignment was clear though. Survival of humanity. That was the all encompassing goal against which every decision had to be factored. And for that there was a cost to pay.

That was why, during the few moments she had to herself in those awful first days, she did what she needed to. She mourned the death sentence her doctor had given her. Tied up all those emotions and packed them away along with thoughts of her death, leaving behind only the deadline she had to work with to achieve what was necessary. She boxed away a part of her heart, the deepest part of her, where she kept the memory of her parents, her siblings, where she had held a place for the man she would love, the children she had once dreamed of. She knows he would have found his way there, if she had let him, she could have loved him but she had a job to do. That part of her could not be allowed free for now. She was at the end of the day, a practical person. For their survival in this desperate situation they found themselves in, she could not afford the distraction. She had to feel for, think about, fight for them as a whole, her decisions had to be based on what would ensure their survival and not on what any one individual thought, believed or wanted. If she allowed any one person to hold such a sway over her heart, she would not be able to achieve the required result. It was as simple as that. Survival.

What people saw as cold, calculating, ruthless, or even mania, depending on their personal lens, was at heart, practicality. Practicality and sacrifice.


	2. Chapter 2

Commander William Adama had one last duty to perform before he could implement his plans for retirement. Before he could go and buy that little property he had his eye on, or at least one like it, on the coast where he could enjoy the sea breezes, open spaces and fishing. Before he could enjoy the lazy days, the manual labour of boat building, the occasional space flight granted as a favour to an aging and retired Commander, a connection to his past. Before all that could happen, he needed to hand over his beloved Galactica to some government official who wanted to turn her into a museum.

His failures as a husband and father had been made clear to him and his dreams for his remaining years consisted simply of the hope of reconciliation with his remaining son, and the occasional visits of old friends like Saul.

What happened instead was the end of the world, and his hopes and dreams were put aside because he had a job to do and a duty to perform. He was in command of the last battlestar to survive, he had a fleet to protect and humanity to save. It was time for survival, for practicality, not for hopes and dreams.

He was a soldier, and trained to do what is necessary. Taught to make decisions with the facts available and then move on. That doesn't mean that mistakes don't hurt, or consequences don't burn in his heart, but he knows enough to know that it has to be done. He cares enough to be glad to shoulder the burden so that others don't have to.

What he never expected at the end of the world was to find his last and truest love. He had loved Caroline, it was true, but the siren song of flight was something she did not understand and would not accept. Whenever he thought of her, he felt the weight of his failures and his guilt. Now he found someone who was as committed to her duty as he was to his. Someone who learned to understand him, who had seen him at his best and his worst, through his highs and lows, and still looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. Though fought for and hard won, their friendship now was strong enough to withstand anything. Despite the apparent volatility of their relationship, he found underlying it all a deep vein of peace that was something he had never known, and was thankful to her for it.

He saw and understood the barriers she had placed around her heart, that they were necessary for her to function and he would not deny her that. What she needed from him was his support and his trust, and they were hers. That his heart belonged to her was not an issue. To have told her would have burdened her, so he never did, but that didn't change the fact that it was hers.

He appreciated everything she gave him, and demanded nothing more than what she offered. He offered her everything he was, and loved when she accepted what she needed. Nothing more was necessary. He was, at heart, a practical man.


End file.
